


Primary Protocol

by JustABitFishy



Category: Iron Man - All Media Types
Genre: Bot Feels, DUM-E centric, Drabble, Gen, The bots - freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-01
Updated: 2015-07-01
Packaged: 2018-04-07 05:11:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4250622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustABitFishy/pseuds/JustABitFishy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because sometimes the line between AI and child blurs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Primary Protocol

_It wasn't ever programmed into him._

 

The late night binges, the drunk coding, all the times when sleep was put off to say, "Just one more line, just let me finish this."

DUM-E had never been told, "This is why you were created."

[Designation_{inventor}] had never said, "You have a purpose."

It was in the pats on the head, the mutters of, "DUM-E, grab that screwdriver, would you?"

Obvious to anyone with a circuit board. "No, you idiotic piece of outdated junk, motor oil doesn't go in smoothies."

So blindingly clear to his closest friends, "What? Him? Just something I threw together in college."

[Designation_{creator}] never said a word about the moments of quiet after the robot's first movements on his own. The failures and triumphs as the learning system found its way. The frantic desperation to see his oldest creation, stumbling into the workshop after three months in the desert.

DUM-E wasn't perfect. Too much drunk in his coding, not enough "I meant to do that." He understood basic commands, but needed to be watched for the more complex things. By no means his father's best child, he was the first one.

JARVIS was meant to be the watcher. "Protect Tony Stark", that was what he lived by. Butterfingers and You were the helpers. "Hold this, move that, attach that."

DUM-E's prime directive was so much less clear. A quiet plea, 19 years old and barely conscious, drunk and exhausted and halfway high. [Designation_{father}]'s "I just don't want to be alone anymore."

 

_But he did his best._

**Author's Note:**

> Ayara012 is, as usual, my awesome beta and the one behind this getting online at all.


End file.
